The Jæruel
The Jæruel is a collection of fishing villages, mining towns, and tradespeople united under a merchant flag with three intersecting rings in the center over a brown backdrop with a sinister silver bend from the upper right to the lower left. The towns are officially independent, but they follow the lead provided by Tannen. The Jæruel merchant house which provides the name for the region is much more hierarchical, keeping strong hold over the markets in each of the towns, especially those higher up in the power structure. The only standing army is privately run by the merchants of the Jæruel.
The towns and villages of Jæruel:
– Tannen – capital of Jæruel – bustling port town – what Onuago was built after – full of hides and wines other goods from all over the Jæruel (5,000)
– Piran Point – fishing and trading village (920)
– Flego – fishing village (400)
– Uppwint – named for the strong winds that bring fog and quick shifts in the weather to this quaint fishing village (200)
– Trover – fishing town (400)
– Alabaster – inland named for the stone mined from its cliffs (500)
– Junction – a “middle man’s” town at the intersection of trade routes (3,000)
– Himas – a stop on the path of produce to market in Junction (200)
– Franti – wine production, source of Franti grapes (600)
– Furton – wine production, source of Furton grapes, also furs all sent to Tannen (800)
– Ches (pronounced Shez) – fresh water fishing along a broad bend in the river (400)
– Westfort – a fort-like outpost in the mountains to the west of Tannen and Ches that provides hides and timber (200)
Small settlements are developing in the lands to the west of Franti and Furton, but they have not taken significant shape. Some of them have met with ruin due to various invaders — bandits, goblins, and even nefarious pixies getting in on the raiding action.
Posted in Region and tagged Jæruel, Location by Stephen Hilderbrand with no comments yet.
Root of All Evil
A hybrid of plant, corpse and demon grown in the soils of the abyss, these root-covered bipeds thrive on the roots of other plants. They often travel in subterranean caverns and deep forests, sucking the nutrients out in a matter of minutes of the natural roots through a series of hollow thorny spikes that they stick into their plant prey. They are also known to attack animals, especially when they have them outclassed.
Intelligent enough to comprehend many languages, these malign plants tend to contemptuously refuse to communicate with anything not evil and powerful enough to speak the dark speech.
The root of all evil is covered in many all-seeing eyes which gleam like rough gemstones.
To maintain the element of surprise or to escape battle, roots of all evil can burrow into the ground and merge with plants.
Root of All Evil CR 16
Undead plant
Chaotic Evil Huge plant
Init: +7 Senses: Blindsight 45 ft. Listen +1, Spot +6
Aura: Fatiguing Radiance 30 ft.
Languages: dark speech (something evil)
AC: 30 (+20 Natural, +2 Dex, -2 Size) touch 10, flatfooted 19
HP: 150 (HD 17d12)
Immune: Unholy
Fort: +18 Ref: +6 Will: +14
Weakness: Holy
MV: 20 ft., burrow 20 ft.
Attack: +17 vine 1d8+8, spells
Full Attack: 8 attacks with +15 vine 1d8+8
Attack Options: improved grab, swallow whole
Space / Reach: 20 ft. / 20 ft.
Base Attack: +16 Grapple: +27
Abilities Str 26 Dex 15 Con – Int 18 Wis 12 Cha 17
SQ: undead and plant traits
SA: improved grab, blood drain, meld into plant, Swallow Whole,
Feats: Improved Grapple, Combat Reflexes, Weapon Focus Vine, Sunder,
Skills: (160 points) +22 Hide, +22 Move Silently, +8 Search, +29 Spot, +21 Listen,
Possessions: Deep in the maw of the Root of all Evil is “something beyond your wildest dreams.” A table of items held within the root is below. Their hundreds of eyes are actually gems, so they too count as treasure.
Meld into Plant (Su): This ability functions identically to the spell meld into stone except that it allows the Root of all Evil to merge with plants instead of stone. The plant melded with must be as large of larger than the Root of all Evil.
Improved Grab (Ex): Upon a successful melee attack, roots of all evil can attempt to start a grapple with their enemies. Upon a successful grapple, they will draw their victims in toward their gaping maws, where they swallow them whole.
Swallow Whole (Ex): Once swallowed by a root of all evil, characters begin taking 1d4 points of wisdom damage and 2d6+8 points of bludgeoning damage per round. A DC 21 Will save is required to avoid the wisdom damage.
Blood Drain (Ex): At the start of its round, any living creature caught in a grapple with a root of all evil will take 2d4 points of constitution damage.
Spell-like Abilities (Su): 3/day control plants (undead plants only), diminish plants
Blindsight (Ex): Roots of all evil can see all foes within 45 feet using it’s many eyes, sound, scent, and vibration.
Fatiguing Radiance (Su): Any living creature within 30′ of a root of all evil must succeed on a DC 21 fortitude save or become fatigued for as long as they remain in proximity to the undead plant and for 2d6 rounds after they leave it’s aura. The Fortitude save is Charisma based.
Roots of all evil recieve a +8 racial bonus to Spot and Search checks due to their many eyes.
Undead and Plant Traits:
– Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects).
– Not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability drain, or energy drain.
– Immune to damage to its physical ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution), as well as to fatigue and exhaustion effects.
– Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, polymorph, stunning, disease, and death effects.
– Immunity to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless).
– Not at risk of death from massive damage, but when reduced to 0 hit points or less, it is immediately destroyed.
Posted in Creature and tagged plant, undead by Stephen Hilderbrand with no comments yet.
Coral Horse
Summer is here! To celebrate here at Claw / Claw / Bite ! we’re taking a trip to the ocean. Check out the new monster we found!
Coral Horse
These undersea creatures which resemble modern seahorses are made of pure hardened coral, making them resistant to non-bludgeoning attacks.
Coupled with the difficulty of swinging heavy hammers underwater, these make treacherous foes. They are very territorial and attack anything that comes near their home reefs. They merge with the reefs when they sleep and for protection.
Coral Horse
Size/Type: Large Magic Beast (Aquatic)
Hit Dice: 7d8+6 (40 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: Swim 80 ft. (16 squares)
Armor Class: 18 (-1 size, +3 Dex, +6 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 15
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+11
Attack: Hoof +6 melee (1d4+4) or tail +3 melee (1d8+3)
Full Attack: 2 hooves +6 melee (1d4+4) bite +1 melee (1d4+2) and 1 tail +3 melee (1d8+3)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: —
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent, Damage Reduction 5/Bludgeoning
Saves: Fort +9, Ref +11, Will +5
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 16, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 6
Skills: Listen +5, Spot +4, Swim +10
Feats: Endurance, Swim
Environment: Undersea
Organization: Pack
Challenge Rating: 5
Advancement: —
Level Adjustment: —
These animals look like heavy horses made of coral except their hind legs form a tail. A coral horse can fight while carrying a rider (usually these are coral warhorses), but the rider cannot also attack unless he or she succeeds on an (undersea) Ride check.
Combat
These creatures swim very fast, using their mobility to charge predators or lure them away from their nests.
Posted in Creature and tagged aquatic subtype, magical beast by Stephen Hilderbrand with no comments yet.
Proppian World View
Today I announce a spinoff of CCB! I will still be posting a bunch here, as I steal away time during lunch and after work, so don’t worry — there’s still plenty of CCB work left to do!
The spinoff is Proppian World View named in honor of Vladamir Propp, who published a text in I think 1948 that provided a morphology of fairy tales. This blog will detail the plotline (and some setting) of a medieval fairy-tale role-playing campaign which will be ongoing, starting in July 2007.
Happy reading! Oh, and order printable versions of CCB. They come out looking really nice. Great for the kids.
Posted in news and tagged proppian by Stephen Hilderbrand with no comments yet.
Issue 7 — June 2007
Today we announce the completion of Issue 7, with many thanks to Joe Calkins, who has helped unify our look and feel. The rest of the content kudos are split between Priest of Doom and Howling Mime.
This issue of Claw/Claw/Bite! includes
- Seven new creatures, Including the new True Dragon: the Aquamarine Dragon, also known as the River Dragon!
- A new campaign location
- A new playable race: Naahaogo, the Mountain Goat People
- 5 new magic items, and a new type of weapon: the Overclaw Guantlet
- Four new spells
- Two new counterspelling feats
- Four new NPCs: from escaped slaves to twin water priestesses!
For a free preview, click here.
And you can check out other issues of Claw/Claw/Bite! HERE
Posted in Uncategorized and tagged CCB issue by Stephen Hilderbrand with no comments yet.
Zombie (Ettin)
In the ettin lands to the south of the Ettal Valley, a deep shadow glides down from the mountain. It is said that in this shadow, the bodies of fallen ettin rise up in the night and drag their feet across the hills.
These zombie ettin have been reanimated by ettin priests. They like “ettin’ brains,” but don’t find that the least bit funny.
Zombie (Ettin)
Size/Type: Large Giant
Hit Dice: 14d12 (110 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 30 ft. in hide armor (6 squares); base speed 40 ft.
Armor Class: 16 (-1 size, -1 Dex, +5 natural, +3 hide), touch 6, flat-footed 16
Base Attack/Grapple: +7/+17
Attack: Morningstar +12 melee (2d6+6) or javelin +5 ranged (1d8+6) or slam +12 melee (1d8+6)
Full Attack: 2 morningstars +12/+7 melee (2d6+6) or 2 javelins +5 ranged (1d8+6) or 2 slams +12 melee (1d8+6)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: —
Special Qualities: single actions only (per living head), darkvision 60′, superior two-weapon fighting, DR 5/slashing, undead traits
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +1, Will +9
Abilities: Str 23, Dex 8, Con -, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 1
Skills: Listen +10, Spot +10
Feats: Alertness, Iron Will, Power Attack
Environment: Cold hills
Organization: Any
Challenge Rating: 4
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Neutral evil
Advancement: –
Level Adjustment: +5
As undead, these ettins have the following features:
– No constitution; uses charisma for constitution checks
– Darkvision to 60′
– Immunity to all mind-affecting effects
– Immunity to poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects
– Not subject to critical hits, non-lethal damage
– Cannot heal damage on its own
– Immunity to all effects that require a Fortitude save
– Do not breathe, eat, or sleep
Zombie ettins are two-headed giants that stand 12 feet tall with a slight hunch to their backs and weigh three to four thousand pounds. In their living lives, they live about 75 years. In zombie form they go on indefinitely, their reanimated bodies wandering the night until they can be freed through destruction.
Ettin have no language of their own but speak a pidgin of Orc, Goblin, and Giant. Creatures that can speak any of these languages must succeed on a DC 15 Intelligence check to communicate with an ettin. In this zombie form, the pidgin is even more pronounced, making them harder to understand than in living form. Check once for each bit of information: If the other creature speaks two of these languages, the DC is 15, and for someone who speaks all three, the DC is 10.
Combat
Zombie ettin prefer to ambush their victims rather than charge into a straight fight, but once the battle has started, an ettin usually fights furiously until all enemies are dead.
Superior Two-Weapon Fighting (Ex): Most zombie ettin fight unarmed, groping their prey with their sharp claws and mangy giant arms, though some fight with a morningstar or javelin in each hand. Because each of its two heads controls an arm, the ettin does not take a penalty on attack or damage rolls for attacking with two weapons, or one hand unarmed.
Damage Reduction (Ex): An ettin zombie has damage reduction 5/slashing. Zombies are lumbering masses of flesh.
Skills
An ettin’s two heads give it a +2 racial bonus on Listen, Spot, and Search checks.
Image by Joe Calkins.
Posted in Creature and tagged undead by Stephen Hilderbrand with no comments yet.
Jana Telani
Jana has spent much time in the mountains around the Ettal Valley, making him perhaps the authority on the land. He knows just about every nook and cranny of the natural environs from Harlsbridge on the west to the end of the valley in the east, north into the Jaeruel, and even parts of the Ettin Lands (upcoming post) to the south. Jana trained in Kloster Finch and then set off to find adventure in the wilds. His training includes winemaking (vintner profession), as well as multiple weapon proficiencies, though he prefers unarmed combat. He has recently acquired a sling of outrageous fortune which he uses to hunt rabbit and other small game in the mountains.
He has contact with other mountain wyndm folk strewn about the mountains in hidden caves, and could offer various services if the need arises.
Jana Telani
Medium-size Male Wyndm
Druid5 Monk1
Hit Dice: (5d8)+(1d8)+6
Hit Points: 45
Initiative: +3
Speed: Walk 20 ft.
AC: 18 (flatfooted 15, touch 13)
Attacks: Shortspear +4;Shortspear (Thrown) +6;*Flurry of Blows +2/+2;*Sling of Outrageous Fortune +8; ;
Damage: Shortspear 1d6+1;Shortspear (Thrown) 1d6;*Flurry of Blows 1d6+1;*Sling of Outrageous Fortune 1d4+3; ;
Vision:
Face / Reach: 5 ft. / 5 ft.
Special Qualities: Animal Companion (Ex), Flurry of Blows (Ex), Nature Sense (Ex), Resist Nature’s Lure (Ex), Trackless Step (Ex), Wild Empathy (Ex) +8, Wild Shape (Su) 1/day for 5 hours, Woodland Stride (Ex)
Saves: Fortitude: +7, Reflex: +6, Will: +9
Abilities: STR 13 (+1), DEX 16 (+3), CON 13 (+1), INT 15 (+2), WIS 16 (+3), CHA 12 (+1)
Skills: Appraise 2; Balance 1; Bluff 1; Climb -2; Concentration 10; Craft (Untrained) 2; Diplomacy 3; Disguise 1; Escape Artist 1; Forgery 2; Gather Information 1; Handle Animal 10; Heal 7; Hide 5; Intimidate 1; Jump -4; Knowledge (Nature) 13; Listen 9; Move Silently 0; Profession (Vintner) 4; Ride 6; Search 2; Sense Motive 3; Spellcraft 9; Spot 8; Survival 10; Survival (Natural environments) 12; Swim -5; Tumble 1;
Feats: Armor Proficiency (Light), Armor Proficiency (Medium), Dodge, Improved Grapple, Improved Unarmed Strike, Mobility, Natural Spell, Point Blank Shot, Shield Proficiency
Challenge Rating: 8
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Possessions: Boots (BOOT); Shortspear; Bullets, Sling (50); Cloak of Elvenkind; Rhino Hide; Flurry of Blows; Sling of Outrageous Fortune;
Spells:
Spells per Day: (5/4/3/2/0/0/0/0/0/ DC:13+spell level)
Druid – Known:
Level 0: Create Water, Cure Minor Wounds, Deep Breath, Detect Magic, Detect Poison, Dim, Dim Illumination, Ember, Flare, Guidance, Know Direction, Light, Light My Fire, Mending, Night-Vision, Puff of Wind, Purify Food and Drink, Read Magic, Resistance, Shovel, Signal Fire, Virtue
Level 1: Calm Animals, Charm Animal, Cure Light Wounds, Detect Animals or Plants, Detect Snares and Pits, Endure Elements, Entangle, Extinguish, Faerie Fire, Goodberry, Hide from Animals, Ice Patch, Jump, Longstrider, Magic Fang, Magic Stone, Bellamy’s Monstrous Musk, Obscuring Mist, Pass without Trace, Produce Flame, Scree, Shillelagh, Solid Footing, Speak with Animals, Summon Nature’s Ally I, Swim
Level 2: Animal Messenger, Animal Trance, Barkskin, Bear’s Endurance, Bull’s Strength, Cat’s Grace, Chill Metal, Delay Poison, Fire Trap, Flame Blade, Flaming Sphere, Fog Cloud, Glass Shape, Gust of Wind, Heat Metal, Hold Animal, Owl’s Wisdom, Purge Inner Darkness, Reduce Animal, Resist Energy, Restoration, Lesser, Reveal Tracks, Share Feeding, Soften Earth and Stone, Spider Climb, Stabilize, Summon Nature’s Ally II, Summon Swarm, Tree Shape, Warp Wood, Weaken Stone, Wood Shape
Level 3: Acid Spit, Call Lightning, Clinging Steam, Contagion, Cure Moderate Wounds, Daylight, Diminish Plants, Dominate Animal, Gas Mask, Magic Fang, Greater, Meld into Stone, Neutralize Poison, Plant Growth, Poison, Protection from Energy, Quench, Remove Disease, Sleet Storm, Snare, Speak with Plants, Spike Growth, Stone Shape, Summon Nature’s Ally III, Water Breathing, Wind Wall
Jana’s wyndm-wolf companion Mana is always by his side.
Mana
Medium-size Male Wyndm-Wolf
Animal4
Hit Dice: (4d8)+8
Hit Points: 30
Initiative: +6
Speed: Walk 50 ft.
AC: 16 (flatfooted 14, touch 12)
Attacks: ;
Damage: ;
Vision: Low-light
Face / Reach: 5 ft. / 5 ft.
Special Qualities: Animal Traits, Evasion (Ex), Link (Ex), Scent (Ex), Share Spells (Ex), Trip (Ex)
Saves: Fortitude: +6, Reflex: +8, Will: +2
Abilities: STR 13 (+1), DEX 15 (+2), CON 14 (+2), INT 2 (-4), WIS 12 (+1), CHA 6 (-2)
Skills: Appraise -4; Balance 2; Bluff -2; Climb 1; Concentration 2; Craft (Untrained) -4; Diplomacy -2; Disguise -2; Escape Artist 2; Forgery -4; Gather Information -2; Heal 1; Hide 3; Intimidate -2; Jump 9; Listen 1; Move Silently 5; Ride 2; Search -4; Sense Motive 1; Spot 3; Survival 2; Swim 1;
Feats: Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Track
Challenge Rating: 1
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Posted in Character and tagged Wyndm by Stephen Hilderbrand with no comments yet.
Loxodon
Deep in the jungles of the Wastaru (see upcoming post), paths wind to and from under the tall canopies. On the floor walk the loxodon single-file from destination to destination in their constant migration cycle.
The loxodon is like an elephant, except in the place of the enormous ears, the loxodon has small ears which are hidden by the enormous locks of hair that descend in dreads from upon their heads. They are not as large as their cousins, but usually travel in larger packs, making them more dangerous.
Loxodon
Size/Type: Huge Animal
Hit Dice: 10d8+55 (98 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 50 ft. (10 squares)
Armor Class: 15 (-2 size, +7 natural), touch 8, flat-footed 15
Base Attack/Grapple: +8/+26
Attack: Gore +14 melee (2d8+14)
Full Attack: Slam +14 melee (2d6+10) and 2 stamps +10 melee (2d6+5);
or gore +16 melee (2d8+15)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Trample 2d8+15
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent
Saves: Fort +12, Ref +7, Will +6
Abilities: Str 28, Dex 10, Con 21, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 7
Skills: Listen +4, Spot +12
Feats: Alertness, Endurance, Iron Will, Skill Focus (Spot)
Environment: Tropical jungles
Organization: Solitary or herd (15-40)
Challenge Rating: 7
Advancement: 11-18 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: —
Massive herbivores of tropical lands, loxodon are unpredictable creatures that have never been tamed by humans.
Combat
Loxodons tend to charge single-file at threatening creatures, smashing into them one-by-one right after one-another. Think of smashing headlong into a locomotive.
Trample (Ex): Reflex half DC 25. The save DC is Strength-based.
Posted in Creature and tagged magical beast by Stephen Hilderbrand with no comments yet.
Ettin Lands
At the southern end of the Cyrűk mountains, a strain of ettin have made their home for multiple generations. These two-faced creatures often end up meeting their fate when one of their brethren challenges them to a duel to the death over some misunderstanding.
The Ettin Lands are a series of three tall hills surrounded by the neighboring peaks. Within these borders, ettin law reign supreme, that of might makes right. This way of life has been passed down through ettin culture, a mismatch of orc, giant, and various other mythologies and beliefs. It seems they are continually confused, perhaps due to their multiple heads, which often do not agree. Ettin (especially from this isolated region) have been known to argue with their own heads, sometimes leading to the two halves of the body pummeling the other to the ground. What is strange is watching them go at it — the right head controls the left side of the body, and vice versa, so the opposing blows must cross one-another in order to contact the intended targets.
Occasionally an ettin will travel outside of these borders into lands inhabited by humans or others of their ilk, but they have largely stuck to this region because of the plentiful supply of large game to hunt. In the neighboring Ettal valley, the meat is much leaner and quicker, making for too challenging a hunt, a major deterrent to this lazy species.
Still, they have been known to hunt men for sport. That is, when they can get along long enough to keep organized.
Recently, the ettin have been haunted by their own zombies, who roam the mountainsides at night in search of brains… ettin technically have two per body, making them even tastier prey to these zombies.
Posted in Region and tagged Location, Northbay by Stephen Hilderbrand with no comments yet.
Ettal Valley
Located in the heart of the Cyrűk Mountains, the Ettal Valley stretches east where the Ettal River joins the Swift River four miles northeast of Castle Stieglitz. Where the tributary meets the white water of the raging river, the thirty-year-old Harlsbridge provides across the span. A road heads east along the north edge of the river, paralleling the river on the floor of the valley for 12 miles, where the town of Garlston rests at the base of a cliff beneath Kloster Fint, home of about 20 monks who scribe tomes and work as vintners. A mountain stream falls over 400 feet from the steep wine fields down to the town, where it powers mills before joining the Ettal River. Garlsbridge crosses the Ettal and the road continues east on the south side of the river.
Over the mountains to the south of the Ettal Valley, lie the Ettin homelands. Their chants can be heard late at night in the valley. They can be occasionally encountered, but it is rare. Other encounters include natural creatures and others as per the random encounter chart for mountain valleys.
The relatively sparse humanoid traffic allows the natural creatures in the valley including wolves, foxes, and deer, to trive. The valley’s foliage is mostly conifers which cover the mountains up to the tree line a few hundred feet from their summits, though some deciduous trees (maple, oak, dogwood) grow in dense clusters along the river. Snow caps many of the mountains for much of the year.
Some Wyndm folk live in small communities in the trees halfway up the mountains on the north edge of the valley. With their natural lifestyle, they maintain a small ecological footprint.
Posted in Uncategorized and tagged Location, Northbay by Stephen Hilderbrand with no comments yet.